


The Wrong War

by Rose Emily (toomuchplor)



Category: Smallville
Genre: Crossover, First Time, Humor, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2004-05-10
Updated: 2004-05-10
Packaged: 2017-11-01 09:04:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,384
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/354725
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/toomuchplor/pseuds/Rose%20Emily
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Clark is intrigued by Lex's DVD collection.  For sparktastic's icon ficlet request.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Wrong War

"Horatio Hornblower?" 

Clark sounded both delighted and horrified at the same moment, which was an adorable modulation to his normally adorable voice. Lex managed to stifle his instinctive embarrassment. Instead, he walked over to stand by Clark in front of his DVD collection. 

"You've never read C. S. Forrester?" Lex asked, watching Clark's long fingers tug at the slender spine of the blue DVD case. 

"Hornblower?" Clark repeated, now grinning. "Is this ... um. Porn?" 

Lex laughed, charmed by Clark's awkward amusement. "Just because it has 'blower' in the title doesn't mean that --" 

"Whoa." Clark's noise of startlement interrupted Lex's disclaimer. 

"What?" 

Clark was now holding the DVD case and studying the cover. He seemed strangely embarrassed, suddenly, and he hastily turned the case over, opting for reading the blurb on the back. "So ... it's about ships?" he asked, turning an alluring shade of pink. 

Lex nodded, still wondering what had caused Clark's exclamation of surprise. "It's based on a series of novels by Forrester. The protagonist is loosely modelled after Lord Nelson but Forrester wrote in the 40s and 50s. They're very good books, and the A&E series is a remarkably good adaptation." 

Clark scarcely seemed aware of Lex's explanation, his eyes skimming over the back of the DVD case, ostensibly reading the plot summary. But Lex noticed that Clark's eyes kept skipping back to the small insert photo of the actor who played Horatio Hornblower. 

"Forrester chose an absurd name on purpose," Lex continued, watching Clark carefully to confirm that the boy was indeed ogling a certain shirtless Welsh actor. "See, Hornblower's a very interesting protagonist. He's brilliant, a wonderful naval officer, but incredibly self-doubting. He's convinced of his own cowardice. The name signifies part of how he views himself -- he thinks of himself as ridiculous." 

"Huh," Clark said, and now he was absently running a large thumb over the photo. "Can we watch these?" 

"You should read the books, first," Lex admonished lightly, even as he obediently tugged the DVD case from Clark's grasp. "It'll make you appreciate this more." 

"I think I'll ... appreciate it okay like this," Clark stumbled, flushing a bit more. "I mean. It looks good." 

Lex smiled and made his way to the DVD player, inserting the disc and then sitting down on the leather couch beside Clark. Lex quietly explained the backstory in the more silent intervals of the movie, since Clark had chosen not the first of the series, but the fourth. Clark, however, was seemingly absorbed to the point of distraction by the uniformed figures on the screen. When he did rouse himself to question Lex, it was with seemingly disjointed motivation. 

"When did guys stop wearing tights?" 

And Lex explained about the industrial revolution and the Protestant ethic of hard work, which had led to greater standards of practicality in uniforms and eventually, in formal clothes of all kinds. 

"Is Horatio kind of ... I mean. He and that Archie guy, they seem kind of ..." 

And Lex explained about the camraderie of war and the unlikelihood of homosexual behaviour under the puritanical regime of the British Royal Navy. 

"Do they really trust Horatio not to run away just because he says he won't?" 

And Lex explained about parole and honour and how giving one's word used to mean something. 

Then Horatio was tossed into the thieves' hole, the tiny underground cell ventilated by a grate set in the ceiling, which let in rain as well as air. Clark was completely riveted by the images on the screen as Ioan Gruffudd as Horatio Hornblower tilted his head back and let the rain run over his upturned face, mouth open to catch the drops. Lex himself was more interested by the pretty picture Clark presented, his full mouth agape at the sight of Mr. Gruffudd. Lex had scarcely allowed himself to hope, before, that Clark might be attracted to men, but this hardly seemed like heterosexual behaviour. 

"Clark?" Lex asked, tearing his friend out of his reverie. Lex hit the pause button, feeling this might more effectively secure Clark's full attention. 

Clark blinked several times before he seemed to see Lex. "This is a really good movie," he said at last, still sounding rather sex-stunned. 

"I'm glad you like it," Lex replied, smiling. 

"It's ... really good." Clark's eyes were drifting back towards Ioan's wet visage. 

"Some guys are hotter when they're wet," Lex observed, shifting a little close on the couch. 

Clark didn't register the remark immediately, simply nodding several times before he realized the import of Lex's words. "Oh. No. It's a good ... story." 

Lex shifted a little closer yet. "You, for example ... You're beautiful to begin with, but when you're wet ..." 

Clark's eyes were fixed on Lex again, and Lex was willing to bet he had just beat out Horatio Hornblower for the title of Most Interesting Person In This Room. "When I'm wet," Clark repeated, softly, his gaze darting over Lex's face, from his eyes to his lips. 

"You're incredibly hot," Lex finished, only a breath away from Clark. 

Clark was turning all sorts of interesting shades of red, but he wasn't moving away. Lex experimentally leaned in close and breathed gently on Clark's lips. As if by magic, Clark's eyelids fluttered closed. 

Lex brushed his mouth over Clark's, the merest whisper of a kiss, but Clark moved towards Lex with alacrity and suddenly Lex's mouth was open against Clark's and they were hungrily tasting each other. Lex was mentally thanking C. S. Forrester for the homoeroticism of canons, ships, naval camraderie, and gold buttons, with a quick footnote of gratitude towards A&E for their love of wet white shirts, when Clark suddenly pulled away. 

"Lex," he gasped, and his eyes, when Lex looked, were wide and worried. 

"What is it?" Lex asked, shocked inside by how much he cared, how desperately he wanted this to end right. 

"I just want ... you're not kissing me because I remind you of that actor, are you?" Clark blurted, inclining his head towards the frozen picture of Ioan Gruffudd. 

Lex laughed with astonishment. "Me? You're the one drooling over him." 

Clark grinned in reply, obviously reassured simply by Lex's reaction. Still, he pursued the point. "You're the one with the complete series on DVD." 

"You're the one obsessed with his tights," Lex returned, leaning in to kiss Clark again. 

Clark giggled into Lex's mouth. "You're the one who has a picture of him as your wallpaper on your laptop." 

Lex froze in surprise. "You ... when did you see that?" 

Clark laughed again, kissing Lex's lower lip. "You always close your laptop so fast when I walk in the room, I had to see why. I peeked once, when you weren't looking." Lex was still too shocked to smile back, but Clark didn't seem to mind, only moving a little to wrap his arm around Lex's waist. "It's a hot picture. With the coffee cup? I didn't know who he was ... I figured he was your boyfriend -- but then I saw the DVD." 

Lex blinked slowly. "You thought I was ... taken?" 

Clark nodded, biting his lip playfully. "I was kind of relieved to find out that my competition was a British actor. I've been dying to kiss you for months, but I was afraid that I would be overstepping my bounds if you were seeing someone else. Then, when I saw him in this movie, I realized ..."-- here Clark paused and shyly ran a hand through his dark curls -- "he sort of looks like me. And I wondered if maybe that was why you always flirt with me. And then ... you kissed me, so I just wanted to make sure that it was _me_ you wanted to kiss." 

Lex was so overwhelmed by this revelation, he took a moment to respond properly to Clark's admission, but when he did, Lex managed to kiss Clark very thoroughly, ending in an undignified sprawl across the length of the couch, their legs entangled and his hand up Clark's t-shirt. "It's definitely you," Lex assured Clark breathlessly. "You're the one I wanted to kiss." 

Clark smiled brilliantly in response. "Does this mean I'm going to replace him on your laptop?" 

Lex kissed the smile away, then slyly answered. "Depends ... how do you feel about posing in a pair of tights?" 


End file.
